ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A 16-year-old Charlotte girl who was rescued from a human trafficking and prostitution operation in Rowan County had been missing for nearly two weeks when she was found, detectives said on Wednesday.
The Rowan County Sheriff's Office conducted a two-day operation at a hotel in Salisbury earlier this month to get an idea of what human trafficking might look like in Rowan County. Undercover detectives contacted multiple people offering sexual services on various websites and social media apps. The detectives agreed to meet those individuals at the hotel, where they were asked if they were OK and if they were forced into prostitution.
None of the people who responded to the requests were arrested. One of the people who responded was a 16-year-old girl from Charlotte. The girl said she was sent from Charlotte through a ride-sharing service paid for by Kadeem Zelique Williams, the man accused of running the operation.
The teen had been missing since March 4, nine days before she met with detectives. During that interview, the victim said Williams offered her a place to live, a phone, food and other items in exchange for prostitution. She also claimed Williams strangled and choked her, showing detectives injuries she suffered during the attack.
Detectives learned that Williams was staying in a Charlotte hotel. He was arrested by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and charged with felony assault by strangulation and assault on a female. Williams was taken into custody without further incident. He was then transferred to Rowan County and charged with promoting the prostitution of a minor.
Williams remains in jail under a $250,000 bond. He was on parole for robbery with a dangerous weapon and was under GPS monitoring. Rowan County investigators say additional charges are pending based on a search of Williams' phone records.
Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen says parents need to be vigilant and aware about what their kids are doing.
"Parents have to be very cognoscente of what their children are doing online and who they’re talking to. Not necessarily because they’re bad children, but because they could be taken advantage of easily," Allen explained.
Jim Duncan, the executive director of anti-trafficking nonprofit Project Light, says the number of human trafficking cases grows each day. Duncan said Charlotte is the top city in North Carolina, citing its two major interstates and central location on the East Coast as being a prime target for traffickers.
“Why do we have it in this area? All the interstates pass through," Duncan said. "We have all the sports activities, all these things going on and perpetrators are bringing their victims into this area and they're trying to get more victims in our area here."
Contact Anna King at aking2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X mand Instagram.
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